Artificial Food Dyes and ADHD

Since the 1970s there has been concern over the connection between artificial food dyes and hyperactive activity. Since the 1990, use of these dyes has increased by half. Many parents give testimonials about how removing artificial dyes from their children’s diets has had a dramatic effect on their attention span and focus. Consumer concerns about food dyes are significant enough for major companies like Kraft to provide artificial dye free options and for websites like “The Red Dye Free Store” to be successful. There is even an iPhone app that can help people decode ingredients labels; “Don’t Eat That”. Some consumer groups are pushing for artificial dyes to be banned from food completely. Although a ban is unlikely, these groups are at least hoping for a warning label to be added to these foods. An advisory panel to the FDA has recommended a study to figure out if there is a link between food coloring and childhood hyperactivity (ADHD). The same panel also decided that products containing these artificial food dyes don’t need any warning labels. They are still required to list the food colorings as ingredients. At this time there is not enough evidence to prove food dyes increase hyperactivity in all children, but the panel agrees that diets eliminating dyes may help some children. Banning or adding warning labels would be harmful only to major food manufactures and dye producers. They argue the dyes restore products natural colors that they lose during processing. http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2011/apr/01/fda-panel-votes-study-food-dyes-hyperactivity-ar-440140/ http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42359720/ns/today-today_health/42355829